Wines & Vines

August 2017 Closures Issue

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TECHNICAL SPOTLIGHT WINEMAKING August 2017 WINES&VINES 47 CO 2 exhaust fans linked to skylights that also double for night cooling, barrel rooms cut into the ground to maximize the earth-sheltering effect, minimal south- and west-facing win- dows to reduce heat gain, a canopied crush pad with curtain for late-afternoon sun shad- ing, and a roof storm runoff-collection system that feeds the fire-suppression pond. Production flexibility Savre works in close communication with Burgundy-based consulting winemaker Domi- nique Lafon throughout the vintage, touching base almost daily via Skype. In order to maintain cool temperatures and pristine fruit conditions prior to sorting, crews pick as early as possible in the morning, filling half-ton bins with Chardonnay and slightly less- than-quarter-ton slotted bins with Pinot Noir. "We pick fruit based upon overall maturity while taking into account the best balance be- tween phenolic, aromatic and technologic ripe- ness (pH, TA and percent alcohol) factors, and process the fruit on the same day," Savre said. The grape-receiving and crush area faces the vineyard to maximize shading provided on that side of the building during the day. A team of eight workers, plus Stone and Savre, sort all the grapes by hand on a vibrating conveyor table. The triage area takes advantage of the location's existing slope, so the sorting table rests at a comfortable height, and a natural 4-foot drop directs clusters to the destemmer on the crush pad below. Either bins or conveyers transport the fruit to fermentation vessels after destemming. A ramp along one side provides easy forklift con- nection between the two levels. The lab dou- bles as a "command post," offering a view of the crush pad and fermentation room while allowing for passive supervision. Fermentation and élevage Lingua Franca deploys 10 fixed stainless steel fermentors with aisle space for 30-plus 2-, 4- and 5-ton movable fermentors. All of the fer- mentors, both fixed and portable, exploit overhead fall-protection tracks. This summer, Lingua Franca added 11 concrete fermentors fashioned by Sonoma Cast Stone in 3.5-ton truncated conical shape, replete with wall and floor jackets. Destined for red wine production, these concrete fermentors' truncated conical format allows for better fermentation control, more homogenous fermentation and better extrac- tion, Savre maintains. He also presses into service jacketed stainless steel tanks by JVNW in 2-, 4-, 5- and 7-ton format for Pinot Noir fermentation, as the jackets permit both heat- ing and cooling temperature control. "We use ambient yeast to initiate fermenta- tion," says Savre, "which typically takes about two to four days for reds and three to five days for whites, depending on the source of the fruit." Fermentation and barrel room layouts allow for bifurcation of red and white processes. The red wine fermentation and barrel room sits at Say good- bye to a corkscrew Vinoseal is widely popular among wine lovers because of the easy opening and closing of the bottle. It takes just a click to open a bottle. Another click, and the bottle is sealed back and completely leakproof again. Easy to open and easy to close. No corkscrew is needed. To find out more, visit www.vinoseal.us. E X L C L U S I V E D I S T R I B U T O R I N U S A Vinolok-Bayard-2017-12x19.indd 1 08.02.17 20:54 Lingua Franca added 11 concrete fermentors from Sonoma Cast Stone in a truncated conical shape.

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